Babington - Houston-Packer Collection BV4655 .B23 1615

66 Queftions and Anfweres 6.Command. Sufanna,and as many confcienleffe in thefe dayes doo , being vpon an inqueft of life andídeath,to be matters of their will. .. Que(t. Now ifyou thinkegood, a little alfe ofthe third hind of murther , namely, ofthe heart,&firff how it is prooued? Thatthereis e4n v. The wordes ofour Sauiour Chrift are plakiie , that out ofthe heart come a murder of euill thoughtes, adulteries, fornications,tnurthers. Therefore there is a murder of the the heart. heart. Aga ne, S.Iohn faith, whofoeaerhateth hie brother isatnanflayer, But hatred is in the heart,and therefore manslaughter. Thirdly , the miede and the will being the beginnings or the fountaines ofall aftions if they be infeëted, the man mutt needs be guiltie before the Lord. Que(t. Doth this feareftell frier flep intothe bear: atfirli,orit creepethrather hy degrees .0 other great finites doe ? Anfw. Sathan is more fubtill than fo , to drawe euery man to the extremitie of fin neat the fir( t , and therefore howfoeuerinfomemen he doth vpon a fodaine , yet ordinarilie this murther ftealeth into our harts by thefe fleppes. Fira Sathan breedeth by his vnmarked creeping into our atfe&ions a mitliking of fuch a man or woman, & yetwe well knowc not why , but wee cannot like them. Then doth this making breeds anger. For we cannot beare at their hands , that which we can well tiger at others.Anger breedeth hatred,hatred,def re ofreuenge, & de fire of reuenge murther. Milliking Thus flealeth finne into vs,and by thefe fteppes. Therefore firfi euerie Chriftian is to take heed how miflikin g ofany growethvpon him, &to fnub the courfe ofSatan at the fidt. Secondly, to looke the finite thereof, namely, anger, weighing well what was Gen. r,6. faide to Caine , Cainewhy art thou angrie ? And by our Sauiour Chrift in the Gofpel, Anger. Math. í, But 1 fay vntoyou , whofeeuer is angrie wit his brother vaaduifed y , Ad! be culpable of 13phe4¢,3 t. iudement, expounding there this commandement,& including as you fee anger in it. And hence haue growne all thofe vehement fpeeches in the fcriptures againft it. Let all bitterneffeand anger , and wrath bee put array fromyou,and be ye courteous one towardes another, andtender hearted,forgivingone another , iuen as God for Chrifïerfaks forgaueyou Ia+tt:4, I9 (faith the Apoftle.) And againe , Be/lowe to wrath , faieth another, For the wrath of man cloth not accomplish the righteoufneife of God : That is , anger and wrath hin- dreth Gods worke in vs. Veto which and a number fuch other perfwafions in the words the prophane writers by the very light ofedafon haue agreed, and (ought in their forte to giue men a fight of this fowle vice. Anger haue they Paid is he begin- ning ofmadnes , anger is the drunkenneffe ofthe minds , anger admitteth not good counfell,anger is the root of murther,death,with a number fuch fpeaches. £uefl. Foule then I fee is this vice in all, and efpeciallie to a Chriflian : and therefore it weregood we knew how to auo:de it. c/Infw. We reade that a King of Thracia being prefented with a fort of very fine glaffes , by and by brake them all in peeces. And being afked the reafon, anfwered, that he did it toauoyd the wrath that he was fare would bee in him again(' them that fhoulde breake them afterward. Howe then are we taught by this King , though not euerie way todoo as he did,yetwith him to be careful to preuent our anger by taking away the occafion ? The occafionsofanger in many men are play, andgaming,curio- firle in dealing and medling,taking amatter as they think they heard it,when indcede they heard it not right , nipping wordes , and gauling (peaches, with a number fuch: which ifmen will not haue any care to efchewe , then in vaine doo they fay they are afrai de to let murther into their heartes. For in trueth the elfe&s will followeifthe ordfnarie caufes doo goe before. Rhea. Why,butis all angerforbidden to aChri /ian? Anfw. No in deede,itis as lawfuli fora man in time, place, in his office, and for a iu(t caufe to be angry in conuenient meafure,as it is vnlawfull otherwife.And it is ap- parant by the children ofGod,in all ages,the Patriarches,Prophets, Apoftles, and o- ther,whofe heartes haue burned with mifliking of euill, and words bewrayed as much vntothcm.Whereforetruelywa4'itfaydofthe godly Father, Nolte irafci,vbihafccn.. damefl,nolle emendarepeccatuanóft.That is,for a man not to bee angry,when hefhould bee

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=